After three decades in the dark, Germany finally stole the spotlight, shining the brightest in Europe.
Germany palmed the long-awaited EuroBasket Championship title after scraping past Türkiye, 88-83, in the EuroBasket 2025 finals held at Arena Riga (Xiaomi Arena) in Riga, Latvia, on September 14, 2025.
The reigning FIBA World Cup champions vaulted ahead on Dennis Schroder’s last minute rampage, smothering Türkiye’s early groove to claim the title.
“We were trailing for 24 minutes, every time we came back, Türkiye had an answer, but this is the quality of this team, this team is unbelievably talented," said German head coach Alan Ibrahimagic.
With only 1:15 left on the clock, the Germans snapped Turkey's lead in the fourth period when Schroder delivered a nerve-wracking layup to grab the lead, 84-83.
That play lit the fuse on Deutschland's momentum, followed up by a crucial offensive rebound from Isaac Bonga, which Schroder converted into a pull-up jumper with only 19 ticks left.
The white-clad troupe refused to give up, but Sengun's last desperate jumpshot went short, forcing Schroder to take two free throws that sealed the deal for Germany, 88-83.
Türkiye, then, flaunted a two-way masterclass in the second frame as they clamped on Germany's defense fueled by consistent threes and free throws, 46-40, by halftime.
On the other hand, Germany came out firing in the third stanza, repulsing Türkiye's tempo with Bonga, Wagner, and Schroder's scorching scoring spree.
With Schroder taking over the driver's seat in the dying seconds of the match, Germany closed the curtain on Türkiye via a sweet come-from-behind triumph.
“This is a special group. It's like a field trip. Everybody loves coming and playing. Two triumphs at the same time is amazing. We are really a team, the best team I have ever played with. Awesome guys and awesome characters,” the MVP commending his team.
Schroder was named as the finals MVP with 16 points and 12 dimes, while Bonga cashed in 20 baskets, alongside Wagner, who racked up 18 markers and 8 rebounds.
Attended by over 11,000 spectators, Germany delivered a performance for the ages after clinching their first EuroBasket title since 1993.
Germany stormed the league with a clean 9-0 standing, adding a brand new trophy to add to their FIBA World Cup title in 2023.
